Formulation of acoustically activatable particles having low vaporization energy and methods for using same

ABSTRACT

Acoustically activatable particles having low vaporization energy and methods for making and using same are disclosed. A particle of material includes a first substance that includes at least one component that is a gas 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. A second substance, different from the first substance, encapsulates the first substance to create a droplet or emulsion that is stable at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. At least some of the first substance exists in a gaseous phase at the time of encapsulation of the first substance within the second substance to form a bubble. After formation of the bubble, the bubble is condensed into a liquid phase, which causes the bubble to transform into the droplet or emulsion having a core consisting of a liquid. The droplet or emulsion is an activatable phase change agent that remains a droplet having a core consisting of a liquid at 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. The first substance has a boiling point below 25° C. at atmospheric pressure.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/876,165, filed Mar. 26, 2013, which is a national stage applicationunder 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2011/055713filed Oct. 11, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/391,569, filed Oct. 8, 2010; and which claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/505,915filed, Jul. 8, 2011; the disclosure of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

GOVERNMENT INTEREST

This invention was made with government support under Grant No. EB011704awarded by the National Institutes of Health. The government has certainrights in the invention.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

The following is a glossary of abbreviations used herein:

-   ADV acoustic droplet vaporization-   DDFP dodecafluoropentane (also known as PFP)-   DPPC dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine-   DPPE-PEG    1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethylene    glycol)-2000]-   DFB decafluorbutane (also known as PFB)-   DSPC distearoyl phosphocholine-   EPR enhanced permeability and retention-   FDA United States Food and Drug Administration-   HEPES (4-2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-1-ethanesulfonic acid-   LPC palmitoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine-   MCA micro-bubble contrast agents-   OFP octafluoropropane-   PBS phosphate-buffered saline-   PCA phase-change agent-   PCCA phase-change contrast agent-   PEG polyethylene glycol-   PFC perfluorocarbon/perfluorochemical—(includes PFB, PFP, PFMP, and    OFP)-   PFB perfluorobutane (also known as DFB)-   PFH perfluorohexane-   PFMP perfluoro(2-methyl-3-pentanone)-   PFP perfluoropentane (also known as DDFP)-   TAPS trimethylamino propane

BACKGROUND

The term “bubble” as used herein refers to a bubble of gas encased orsurrounded by an enclosing substance. Bubbles that are from onemicrometer to several tens or hundreds of micrometers in size arecommonly referred to as “microbubbles”, while bubbles that are smallerthan one micrometer in size are commonly referred to as “nanobubbles.”The term “droplet” as used herein refers to an amount of liquid that isencased or surrounded by a different, enclosing substance. Droplets thatare less than one micrometer in size are commonly referred to as“nanodroplets” and those that are in the one micrometer to tens orhundreds of micrometers in size are commonly referred to as“microdroplets.” If a droplet is encased in another liquid, the dropletand its casing may also be referred to as an “emulsion”. The term“particle” as used herein refers to either a droplet or a bubble of anysize.

Microbubbles for diagnostic ultrasound imaging have been established inthe clinical arena as a sensitive and inexpensive imaging technique forinterrogating landmarks in the vasculature. Currently,microbubble-enhanced diagnostic ultrasound has been approved by the FDAfor the study of wall motion abnormalities and ventricular contractionin echocardiography. Researchers have proposed microbubble-aidedultrasound for a wide range of potential applications, includingfunctional tumor, kidney, and liver imaging, identification of vascularinflammation, identification of vulnerable plaque deposition, thrombusdetection and targeted molecular imaging of angiogenesis. Microbubbleshave been used for therapeutic interventions, primarily in concert withultrasound-mediated cavitation for sonothrombolysis.

Despite their utility as vascular contrast agents and potential fortherapeutic applications, microbubble size (typically 1-5 microns indiameter) prevents their transport outside of the vasculature, a processcommonly referred to as extravasation. In other words, microbubbles aretrapped within the circulatory system. In order to extravasate into theinterstitial space in a solid tumor, the bubble would need to be smallerthan a micron, i.e., a nanoparticle is required. The exact size limitfor nanoparticle extravasation into the interstitial space in solidtumors depends on a variety of factors, but usually falls within therange of 100 nm-750 nm.

Nanoparticles make poor ultrasound contrast agents, however. Nanobubblessmall enough to diffuse past inter-endothelial gap junctions scatterultrasound energy poorly compared to microbubbles and thus providelimited imaging contrast. Additionally, bubble circulation in vivo isshown to be on the order of tens of minutes before bubble dissolution,and clearance significantly limits contrast enhancement. This short timeperiod may be insufficient for enough bubbles to accumulate by diffusioninto the tumor interstitium. Droplets of any size provide poor contrastfor ultrasound imaging as compared to equivalently sized bubbles, andnanodroplets small enough to extravasate into the interstitial space insolid tumors provide poorer contrast still.

One approach to solve the problem of providing ultrasound contrastagents that are both small enough to extravasate and large enough toprovide sufficient ultrasound contrast has been to produce a dropletthat is small enough to extravasate but which can be caused to expandinto a bubble, a processed referred to as “activation”. Such particlesare commonly referred to as “phase change agents”. One method ofactivation is known as acoustic droplet vaporization, or ADV. In ADV,the droplet is subjected to ultrasonic energy, which causes the liquidwithin the droplet to change phase and become a gas. This causes thedroplet to become a bubble, with the corresponding increase in size. Theultrasound impoulses impart a mechanical pressure upon the tissues, andthe amount of pressure applied is indicated in terms of a mechanicalindex, or MI.

Particles that start as droplets but can be activated to become bubblesare referred to as “metastable”, because they are stable as droplets(e.g., they don't spontaneously expand into bubbles) without additionalenergy. If these PCAs are used as contrast agents, they are commonlyreferred to as “phase-change contrast agents” (PCCAs).

Recently there has been interest in the use of PFC droplets for thispurpose. To date, PCAs have been developed using PFCs which have boilingpoints above room temperature (25° C.), which are herein referred to as“low volatility PFCs”. Examples include dodeafluropentane (DDFP),perfluorohexane (PFH), and perfluoroheptane. These low volatility PRCshave been used to make PCAs that have a diameter greater than 1 micron,i.e., microdroplets or microbubbles. PFCs with boiling points above roomtemperature, which are herein referred to as “high volatility” or“highly volatile” PFCs, have not been used to make microparticles out ofa concern that, if subjected to body temperature (37° C.), a dropletcontaining a highly volatile PFC might spontaneously change phase.

However, the low-volatility PFCs conventionally used to make micro-PCAsare not suitable for making nano-PCAs. Many in vitro studies have shownthat the energy required to activate a PFC-based PCA increases as thediameter of the initial droplet decreases. There is a direct correlationbetween activation energy and mechanical index, and applicationsinvolving relatively low frequencies and/or sub-micron droplets mayrequire pressures higher than diagnostic ultrasound machines currentlyprovide. This is an obstacle to human treatment, because excessiveultrasonic activation energy can cause tissue damage or other unwantedbioeffects.

Thus, PFCs that had been used in microbubbles may be unsuitable for usein a nanodroplet due to the excessive activation energy required. Thesmaller the nanodroplet, the more activation energy is required, and theless suitable the PFC. For example, the Antoine vapor pressure equationwas analyzed in order to assess the theoretical vaporization temperaturedependence upon droplet diameter of selected PFCs as a result of theinfluence of interfacial surface tension. Using this model toinvestigate the influence of PFC boiling points, it was concluded thatDDFP, PFH, and perfluoroheptane may require a relatively large amount ofenergy in order to elicit droplet vaporization at a size that wouldpractically be able to extravasate through endothelial gap junctions andinto the extravascular space.

Therefore, there exists a need for a phase-change agent that is stableat physiological temperatures yet is more susceptible to ultrasoundpressures. Such a particle could provide a more efficacious vehicle forextravasation into tissue and activation at the site of action in manyapplications. For human therapeutic and diagnostic use, there is a needfor a stable nanoparticle capable of being vaporized using frequenciesand mechanical indices within the FDA-approved limits of commercialclinical diagnostic ultrasound machines.

SUMMARY

The subject matter described herein includes formulation methods andapplications for particles that can be activated by acoustic energy toconvert from a liquid state to a gas state. In one embodiment,nanoparticles suitable for use in human diagnostics, imaging,therapeutics, and treatment are presented. The methods described hereinproduce stabilized nano- and micro-particles, in liquid or emulsionform, of compounds that are normally gas at room temperature andatmospheric pressure. Two distinct methods are disclosed: the first iscalled the “droplet extrusion” method and the second is called the“bubble condensation” method.

In one embodiment, the droplet extrusion method includes causing thefirst substance to condense into a liquid and then extruding oremulsifying the first substance into or in the presence of a secondsubstance to create droplets or emulsions in which the first substanceis encapsulated by the second substance. To condense the firstsubstance, it may be cooled to a temperature below the phase transitiontemperature of the component having the lowest boiling point, it may becompressed to a pressure above the phase transition pressure of thecomponent having the highest phase transition pressure value, or acombination of the above. The contents of the droplet or emulsion soformed may be entirely or primarily in a liquid phase.

In one embodiment, the bubble condensation method includes extruding oremulsifying the first substance into or in the presence of the secondsubstance to create bubbles having an outer shell of the secondsubstance encapsulating an amount of the first substance, at least someof which is in gaseous form. The bubble thus formed is cooled and/orcompressed such that the contents of the bubble reach a temperaturebelow the phase transition temperature of the component having thelowest boiling point at that pressure. This causes the gas within thebubble to condense to a liquid phase, which transforms the bubble into adroplet or emulsion. In this manner, droplets or emulsions in which thefirst substance is encapsulated by the second substance are created.

The two methods described above produce particles containing in liquidform a substance that is normally a gas at room temperature andpressure, and stabilizing these particles in their liquid form using ashell such as a lipid, protein, polymer, gel, surfactant, or sugar. Thesurface tension of the shell enables these particles to be stable inliquid form, even when the surrounding temperature is raised back toroom temperature. Acoustic energy can then “activate” the particle,returning it to gas form.

In one embodiment, a method for delivery of particles to a target regionincludes introducing particles comprising stable, activatablenanodroplets, each nanodroplet comprising a liquid encapsulated in ashell, where the liquid comprises at least one component that is a gasat room temperature and atmospheric pressure, into a blood vessel in thevicinity of a target region. The particles then extravasate into thetarget region.

In one embodiment, a method for medical diagnostic imaging usingactivatable droplets as contrast agents includes producing encapsulateddroplets, each encapsulated droplet containing a liquid encapsulated ina shell, where the liquid includes a liquid phase of a fluorocarbon, aperfluorocarbon, a chlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, ahydrocarbon, a gas having a boiling point that is below room temperature(25° C.), or combinations thereof; introducing the encapsulated dropletsinto a tissue to be imaged; providing activation energy sufficient tocause the liquid within the encapsulated droplets to change from aliquid phase to a gas phase, causing the encapsulated droplets toincrease in size and become bubbles of encapsulated gas; and performingultrasonic imaging of the tissue using the bubbles as a contrast agent.

In one embodiment, a method for medical therapy using activatabledroplets includes producing encapsulated droplets, each encapsulateddroplet including a liquid encapsulated in a shell, where the liquidcomprises a liquid phase of a fluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon, achlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, a hydrocarbon, a gas having aboiling point that is below room temperature (25° C.), or combinationsthereof; including a therapeutic agent in or on the shell; deliveringthe encapsulated droplets to a target region; and providing activationenergy sufficient to cause the liquid within the encapsulated dropletsto change from a liquid phase to a gas phase, causing the encapsulateddroplets to increase in size and become bubbles of encapsulated gas,wherein the substance to be delivered to the target tissue enters intothe cells of the target tissue.

In one embodiment, a method for medical therapy using activatabledroplets includes producing encapsulated droplets, each encapsulateddroplet including a liquid encapsulated in a shell, where the liquidincludes a liquid phase of a fluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon, achlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, a hydrocarbon, a gas having aboiling point that is below room temperature (25° C.), or combinationsthereof; delivering the encapsulated droplets to a target tissue; andproviding activation energy sufficient to cause the liquid within theencapsulated droplets to change from a liquid phase to a gas phase,causing the encapsulated droplets to increase in size and become bubblesof encapsulated gas, where the bubbles obstruct the flow of blood,oxygen, or nutrients to a target region.

In one embodiment, a method of size selection of particles includingdroplets or emulsions having at least one component that is a gas atroom temperature and atmospheric pressure encapsulated in liquid forminside a lipid, protein, or polymer capsule, includes exposing theparticles to at least one of a pressure other than atmospheric pressureand a temperature other than room temperature, thereby causing someportion of the particle distribution to become activated, and separatingthe activated particles from the non-activated particles.

Acoustically activatable particles having low vaporization energy andmethods for making and using same are disclosed. A particle of materialincludes a first substance that includes at least one component that isa gas 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. A second substance, differentfrom the first substance, encapsulates the first substance to create adroplet or emulsion that is stable at room temperature and atmosphericpressure. At least some of the first substance exists in a gaseous phaseat the time of encapsulation of the first substance within the secondsubstance to form a bubble. After formation of the bubble, the bubble iscondensed into a liquid phase, which causes the bubble to transform intothe droplet or emulsion having a core consisting of a liquid. Thedroplet or emulsion is an activatable phase change agent that remains adroplet having a core consisting of a liquid at 25° C. and atmosphericpressure. The first substance has a boiling point below 25° C. atatmospheric pressure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the subject matter described herein will now beexplained with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals represent like parts, of which:

FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating the relationship between dropletdiameter, shown on the X-axis, and predicted vaporization temperature,shown on the Y-axis, for lipid-encapsulated nanodroplets, eachcontaining one of four common PFCs;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for preparingparticles of materials having a first substance that is enclosed bysecond substance that acts as an encapsulating material, where the firstsubstance includes at least one component that is a gas at roomtemperature and atmospheric pressure, according to an embodiment of thesubject matter described herein;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for preparingparticles of materials having a first substance that is enclosed bysecond substance that acts as an encapsulating material, where the firstsubstance includes at least one component that is a gas at roomtemperature and atmospheric pressure, according to another embodiment ofthe subject matter described herein;

FIG. 4 is a graph showing an observed relationship between initialdiameter of a droplet generated according to methods described hereinand the mechanical index required to vaporize it;

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating activation energy for droplets containingDFB, droplets containing OFP, and droplets containing a 50%/50% mix ofDFB and OFP, generated using the bubble condensation method according toan embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for delivery ofparticles to a target region according to an embodiment of the subjectmatter described herein;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for medicaldiagnostic imaging using activatable droplets as contrast agentsaccording to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for medicaltherapy using activatable droplets as a vehicle for deliveringtherapeutic agents according to an embodiment described herein;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for medicaltherapy using activatable droplets to obstruct the flow of blood,oxygen, or nutrients to cells, such as tumor tissues, according to anembodiment of the subject matter described herein; and

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for sizeselection of particles according to an embodiment described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An ideal phase change agent for use where extravasation intointerstitial regions of tissue is desired, such as an extravascularultrasound contrast agent, for applications where thermal andcavitation-based bioeffects are minimized should be: 1) stable in thevasculature for a sufficient time period, 2) capable of extravasationout of the vascular space, and: 3) labile enough to be activated andinterrogated by clinical ultrasound machines at clinically relevantacoustic intensities. The subject matter described herein includesmethods to produce acoustically activatable nanoparticles that areformulated with high volatility PFCs yet remain stable at roomtemperature and pressure. The resulting droplets are acousticallyactivatable with substantially less energy than other favored compoundsproposed for phase-change contrast agents. Also presented are uses ofthese nanoparticles in medical diagnostics, imaging, therapy, andtreatment. In one embodiment, the activation energy of the nanoparticlemay be tuned to a particular value, opening up the possibility ofhighly-targeted treatments.

To determine which PFCs had potential as a phase-change contrast agentat physiological temperatures and with pre-activation droplet size inthe range desired for extravasation, it was necessary to estimate theenergy that would be required to activate droplets containing the PFCs.The energy required depends on both the PFC contained within the dropletand the diameter of the droplet itself. To estimate this energy,calculations were performed using the Antoine vapor-pressure equation.This equation was derived from the Clausius-Clapeyron relation byAntoine in 1888, and when re-arranged for temperature is expressed as:

$\begin{matrix}{T = {\frac{B}{A - {\log_{10}P}} - C}} & \left( {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} {\# 1}} \right)\end{matrix}$

where P is pressure, T is temperature, and A, B, and C are gas-dependentconstants observed to be valid for a particular temperature range. Thisequation uses experimental results to develop a basic relationshipbetween temperature and pressure as a droplet of a particular substancevaporizes. A droplet will experience an additional pressure due tointerfacial surface tension effects, defined as the Laplace pressure:

$\begin{matrix}{{\Delta \; P} = {{P_{inside} - P_{outside}} = \frac{2\sigma}{r}}} & \left( {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} {\# 2}} \right)\end{matrix}$

where r is the radius of the droplet, 6 is surface tension, andP_(inside) and P_(outside) represent the pressure inside the dropletcore and the pressure in the surrounding media, respectively. PFCstypically have fairly low surface tension values on the order of 10 mN/mat room temperature.

Because the Laplace pressure is an inverse function of radius, smallerdroplets will experience greater pressure. Encapsulating the droplets ina lipid or polymer shell stabilizes the droplets from coalescence andalters the interfacial surface tension. Depending on the properties ofthe encapsulating shell, a larger resulting surface tension may cause anincrease in the pressure exerted, which essentially increases thevaporization temperature of the droplet.

In designing agents for human medical imaging purposes, the ambientpressure may be defined as:

P _(amb) =P _(atm) +P _(body)  (Eq. #3)

where P_(atm)=101.325 kPa and P_(body) is a representative pressureinside the human body (vascular or other). Although intravascularpressure is inherently pulsatile, for the purposes of thesecalculations, an average value of P_(body)=12.67 kPa was used. With atotal pressure exerted on the droplet of:

$\begin{matrix}{P = {{P_{amb} + {\Delta \; P}} = {P_{atm} + P_{body} + \frac{2\sigma}{r}}}} & \left( {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} {\# 3}} \right)\end{matrix}$

the resulting modified Antoine vapor-pressure equation is:

$\begin{matrix}{T = {\frac{B}{A - {\log_{10}\left( {P_{atm} + P_{body} + \frac{2\sigma}{r}} \right)}} - C}} & \left( {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} {\# 5}} \right)\end{matrix}$

Published surface tensions often vary between 25 mN/m and 50-60 mN/m,depending on surfactant properties. Although the exact surface tensionof lipid solutions used in published studies was not known, a value near51 mN/m was sufficient for the purposes of these initial calculations inthat it provided a Laplace pressure near the upper limit of what can beexpected. The constants A,B,C were gathered from the National Instituteof Standards and Technology (NIST) Chemistry WebBook (Linstrom andMallard 2010) for the nearest available temperature range. The resultsof these calculations is shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating the relationship between dropletdiameter, shown on the X-axis, and predicted vaporization temperature,shown on the Y-axis, for lipid-encapsulated nanodroplets, eachcontaining one of four common PFCs: perfluorohexane (PFH),dodecafluoropentane (DDFP), decafluorobutane (DFB), andoctafluoropropane (OFP), shown with human body temperature forcomparison. The natural boiling points of PFH, DDFP, DFB, and OFP are56.6° C., 29° C., −1.7°, and −37.6° C., respectively.

In order to estimate the size of the bubble produced by activating adroplet, ideal gas laws (PV=nRT, where n, P, V, and T represent thenumber of moles of PFC, pressure, volume, and temperature, respectively)can be used to approximate the expansion factor when a liquid undergoesa phase conversion to the gaseous state. Because perfluorocarbons areimmiscible in the liquid state and have low diffusivity in the gaseousstate, here it is assumed that the number of moles is constant from theliquid phase to the gaseous phase (n_(l)=n_(g)). The moles of PFC in thespherical droplet can be computed as:

$\begin{matrix}{n_{1} = \frac{4\pi \; r_{1}^{3}\rho_{1}}{3M}} & \left( {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} {\# 6}} \right)\end{matrix}$

where r_(l) is the radius of the liquid droplet, ρ_(l) is the liquiddensity, and M is the molar mass. Substituting this into the ideal gaslaw and simplifying as a ratio of the gas-phase radius to liquid-phaseradius gives:

$\begin{matrix}{\frac{r_{g}}{r_{1}} = \sqrt[3]{\frac{\rho_{1}{RT}}{MP}}} & \left( {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} {\# 7}} \right)\end{matrix}$

Expanding with Eq. #4 gives

$\begin{matrix}{\frac{r_{g}}{r_{1}} = \sqrt[3]{\frac{\rho_{1}{RT}}{M\left( {P_{atm} + P_{body} + \frac{2\sigma}{r_{g}}} \right)}}} & \left( {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} {\# 8}} \right)\end{matrix}$

As r_(g) approaches very large values, the surface tension componentbecomes negligible.

Decafluorobutane has a molar mass of M=0.238 kg/mol, and at 37° C. (310K) ρ_(l)≈1500 kg/m³. Evaluating Eq. #8 with in vivo (P_(body)=12.67 kPa)and in vitro (P_(body)=0 kPa) conditions and neglecting surface tensioneffects reveals that, based on the assumptions given, a droplet of DFBcan be predicted to expand to an approximate upper limit of 5.2 to 5.4times its original diameter once vaporized (neglecting any deviationsfrom ideal gas laws). Rearranging Eq. #8 such that it is solved forliquid droplet radius becomes:

$\begin{matrix}{r_{1} = \sqrt[3]{\frac{{Mr}_{g}^{2}\left\lbrack {{r_{g}\left( {P_{atm} + P_{body}} \right)} + {2\sigma}} \right\rbrack}{\rho_{1}{RT}}}} & \left( {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} {\# 9}} \right)\end{matrix}$

This allows one, based on ideal gas laws and surface tension effects, toestimate the size of the droplet that vaporized to become a bubble of aknown size. Eq. #8 can also be solved for r_(g), providing a numericallyequivalent—though much more complex—solution. For the purposes of thisstudy, Eq. #9 becomes a more convenient solution, as measured bubblesizes are used to estimate originating droplet sizes.

While the constants used are not expected to predict the vaporizationrelationship completely accurately in the desired temperature range, thecalculation shows DFB droplets appear to have the potential to remainstable in the 200-600 nm diameter range at temperatures just above bodytemperature and that the bubble created by activating the droplet willbe of sufficient size to effectively perform as an ultrasound contrastagent. The calculation also shows that OFP droplets have the potentialto remain stable at sizes below 200 nm, although the −37.6° C. boilingpoint presents significant generation challenges. However, no method tocreate DFB or OFP droplets in the sub-micron size range was known orfound in the prior art.

The subject matter described herein includes two methods creating stabledroplets or emulsions, including particles less than 1 micron indiameter, that contain PFCs with low boiling points, including PFCs withboiling points that are below body temperature (37° C.) or below roomtemperature (25° C.), by encapsulating the particles in a lipid,protein, polymer, gel, surfactant, peptide, or sugar. It has been shownthat this technique may be used to successfully create stablenanodroplets containing DFP, OFP, or a mixture of the two, with andwithout other substances, where the substance being encapsulated wouldotherwise vaporize without the stabilizing encapsulation. Thenanodroplets so created have activation energies that are low enoughthat the nanodroplets may be used for human diagnostics, therapeutics,and treatment. The subject matter described herein also includes methodsof using these nanodroplets for diagnostics, therapeutics, and othertreatments.

Droplet Extrusion Method.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for preparingparticles of materials having a first substance that is enclosed bysecond substance that acts as an encapsulating material, where the firstsubstance includes at least one component that is a gas at roomtemperature and atmospheric pressure, according to an embodiment of thesubject matter described herein. Example particles include droplets oremulsions. The first substance may be herein referred to as, forexample, the encapsulated substance“, the contents”, the filler“, thefilling”, the core“, and the like. The second substance may be hereinreferred to as, for example, the encapsulating substance”, theencapsulation material“, the capsule”, the container“, the shell”, andthe like.

At block 200, the first substance condensed to a liquid phase. This maybe done, for example, by cooling the first substance to a temperaturebelow the phase transition temperature of the component having thelowest boiling point, by compressing the first substance to a pressurethat is above the phase transition pressure of the component having thehighest phase transition pressure, or a combination of the above.

At block 202, the first substance is extruded into or in the presence ofthe second substance to create droplets or emulsions in which the firstsubstance is encapsulated by the second substance. In one embodiment,the contents of the droplet or emulsion is entirely or primarily in aliquid phase.

In one embodiment the particles are extruded at a temperature below thephase transition temperature of the component having the lowest boilingpoint. In one embodiment, the particles are formed through aflow-focusing junction in a microfluidic device, where the device ismaintained at a temperature below the phase transition temperature ofthe component having the lowest boiling point.

In one embodiment, the particles are extruded in a pressurizedenvironment, where the ambient pressure is above phase transitionpressure of the component having the highest phase transition pressure.In one embodiment, the particles are extruded at a temperature that iseither above or below the boiling point of the component having thelowest boiling point. In one embodiment, the particles are extruded at atemperature that is below the boiling point of the component having thelowest boiling point.

In one embodiment, the preparation involves shaking. In one embodiment,the preparation involves extrusion through a filter. In one embodiment,the filter has a pore size greater than the size of the desiredparticle. In one embodiment, the pore size is 10 times greater than thedesired particle size. In one embodiment, the pore size is 2-7 timesgreater than the desired particle size. In one embodiment, the pore sizeis 3-6 times greater than the desired particle size. In one embodiment,the pore size is 5 times greater than the desired particle size.

In one embodiment, the first substance being encapsulated includes agas, such as a fluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon, a chlorofluorocarbon, ahydrofluorocarbon, a hydrocarbon, a gas having a boiling point that isbelow room temperature (25° C.), or combinations of the above, that iscondensed to a liquid phase and encapsulated. In one embodiment, theencapsulated droplets are activatable particles, such as phase changeagents, or PCAs. The PCAs may be activated by exposure to ultrasonic,X-ray, optical, infrared, microwave, or radio frequency energy.

In one embodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a rangefrom approximately 50° C. to 40° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 40° C. to 30° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 30° C. to 20° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 20° C. to 10° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 10° C. to 0° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 0° C. to 10° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 10° C. to 20° C. at atmospheric pressure.

In one embodiment, encapsulating droplets of the liquid phase in theencapsulation material includes extruding or emulsifying the liquidphase using a microfluidics technique to produce droplets of the liquidphase and encapsulating the droplets of the liquid phase in theencapsulation material. In one embodiment, using a microfluidicstechnique comprises using a flow-focusing junction or a T-junction in amicrofluidic device. In one embodiment, the device is maintained at atemperature below the phase transition temperature of the componenthaving the lowest boiling point.

In one embodiment, at least some of the droplets range fromapproximately 10 um to 50 um in diameter. In one embodiment, at leastsome of the droplets range from approximately 5 um to 10 um in diameter.In one embodiment, at least some of the droplets range fromapproximately 1 um to 5 um in diameter. In one embodiment, at least someof the droplets range from approximately 800 nm to 1 um in diameter. Inone embodiment, at least some of the droplets range from approximately600 nm to 800 nm in diameter. In one embodiment, at least some of thedroplets range from approximately 400 nm to 600 nm in diameter. In oneembodiment, at least some of the droplets range from approximately 200nm to 400 nm in diameter. In one embodiment, at least some of thedroplets range from approximately 100 nm to 200 nm in diameter. In oneembodiment, at least some of the droplets range from approximately 50 nmto 100 nm in diameter.

In one embodiment, the encapsulation material comprises a lipid,protein, polymer, gel, surfactant, peptide, or sugar. In one embodiment,the encapsulation material comprises lung surfactant proteins or theirpeptide components to form and stabilize bilayer and multilayer folds ofthe encapsulation material attached to maintain enough encapsulationmaterial sufficient to fully encapsulate the liquid phase before dropletvaporization and the gas phase following vaporization. Examplesurfactants include amphiphilic polymers and copolymers, amphiphilicpeptides, amphiphilic dendrimers, amphiphilic nucleic acids, and otheramphiphiles.

In one experiment, this droplet extrusion method produced a highlyvarying size distribution of viable droplets, from droplets near theoptical resolution of the test equipment (2˜3 microns in diameter) todroplets more than 10 microns in diameter. The droplets so produced werestable at 37° C. and could be subsequently vaporized by ultrasonicenergy

Bubble Condensation Method.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for preparingparticles of materials having a first substance that is enclosed bysecond substance that acts as an encapsulating material, where the firstsubstance includes at least one component that is a gas at roomtemperature and atmospheric pressure, according to another embodiment ofthe subject matter described herein. At block 300, the first substanceextruded into or in the presence of the second substance to createbubbles having an outer shell of the second substance encapsulating anamount of the first substance, at least some of which is in gaseousform. In one embodiment, the contents of the bubble are entirely orprimarily in a gaseous phase. At block 302, the bubble thus formed iscooled and/or compressed such that the contents of the bubble reach atemperature below the phase transition temperature of the componenthaving the lowest boiling point at that pressure. This causes the gaswithin the bubble to condense to a liquid phase, which transforms thebubble into a droplet or emulsion. In this manner, droplets or emulsionsin which the first substance is encapsulated by the second substance arecreated. This method offers the advantage of making smaller, moreuniform droplet sizes with peaks on the order of 200-300 nm—small enoughfor potential extravasation into solid tumors.

In one embodiment, the first substance includes a gas, such as afluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon, a chlorofluorocarbon, ahydrofluorocarbon, a hydrocarbon, a gas having a boiling point that isbelow room temperature (25° C.), or combinations of the above. In oneembodiment, the encapsulated droplets are activatable particles, such asphase change agents, or PCAs. The PCAs may be activated by exposure toultrasonic, X-ray, optical, infrared, microwave, or radio frequencyenergy.

In one embodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a rangefrom approximately 50° C. to 40° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 40° C. to 30° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 30° C. to 20° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 20° C. to 10° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 10° C. to 0° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 0° C. to 10° C. at atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, the gas has a boiling point temperature in a range fromapproximately 10° C. to 20° C. at atmospheric pressure.

In one embodiment, creating bubbles of a gas encapsulated in anencapsulation material includes extruding or emulsifying the gas in thepresence of lipids. In one embodiment, creating bubbles of a gasencapsulated in an encapsulation material includes extruding oremulsifying the gas in a HEPES buffer. In one embodiment, creatingbubbles of a gas encapsulated in an encapsulation material includesextruding or emulsifying the gas in a buffer having a pH in a range fromapproximately 3 to 9. In one embodiment, creating bubbles of a gasencapsulated in an encapsulation material includes extruding oremulsifying the gas in a buffer having a pH in a range fromapproximately 6 to 8.

In one embodiment, condensing the encapsulated gas into a liquid phaseincludes cooling the bubbles under pressure until the encapsulated gascondenses into a liquid phase. In one embodiment, the bubbles are cooledto a temperature in a range from approximately 0° C. to 10° C. In oneembodiment, the bubbles are cooled to a temperature in a range fromapproximately 10° C. to 0° C. In one embodiment, the bubbles are cooledto a temperature in a range from approximately 20° C. to 10° C. In oneembodiment, the bubbles are exposed to a pressure that is greater than50 psi. In one embodiment, the bubbles are exposed to a pressure that isgreater than 20 psi. In one embodiment, the bubbles are exposed to apressure that is greater than 10 psi. In one embodiment, the bubbles areexposed to a pressure that is in a range from approximately 10 psi to 20psi. In one embodiment, the bubbles are exposed to a pressure that is ina range from approximately 20 psi to 50 psi. In one embodiment, thebubbles are exposed to a pressure that is in a range from approximately50 psi to 100 psi. In one embodiment, the bubbles are exposed to apressure that is in a range from approximately 100 psi to 200 psi. Inone embodiment, the bubbles are exposed to a pressure that is in a rangefrom approximately 200 psi to 500 psi.

In one embodiment, at least some of the bubbles range from approximately10 um to 50 um in diameter. In one embodiment, at least some of thebubbles range from approximately 5 um to 10 um in diameter. In oneembodiment, at least some of the bubbles range from approximately 1 umto 5 um in diameter. In one embodiment, at least some of the dropletsrange from approximately 800 nm to 1 um in diameter. In one embodiment,at least some of the droplets range from approximately 600 nm to 800 nmin diameter. In one embodiment, at least some of the droplets range fromapproximately 400 nm to 600 nm in diameter. In one embodiment, at leastsome of the droplets range from approximately 200 nm to 400 nm indiameter. In one embodiment, at least some of the droplets range fromapproximately 100 nm to 200 nm in diameter. In one embodiment, at leastsome of the droplets range from approximately 50 nm to 100 nm indiameter.

In one embodiment, the encapsulation material includes a lipid, protein,polymer, gel, surfactant, peptide, or sugar. In one embodiment, theencapsulation material includes lung surfactant proteins or theirpeptide components to form and stabilize bilayer and multilayer folds ofthe encapsulation material attached to maintain enough encapsulationmaterial sufficient to fully encapsulate the liquid phase before dropletvaporization and the gas phase following vaporization.

For both the droplet extrusion method and the bubble condensationmethod, the first substance may include a PFC that has a phasetransition temperature that is below room temperature or below humanbody temperature of 37° C. at normal atmospheric pressure. For example,the first substance may include a highly volatile compound, such as DFP,OFP, a mixture of the two, or a mixture of DFP and/or OFP with anotherPFC. The first substance may also be a mixture of DFP and/or OFP withthird substance, where the third substance may or may not be a gas atroom temperature or body temperature. In one embodiment, the secondsubstance may be made up of lipids, proteins, polymers, a gel, asurfactant, a peptide, a sugar, another suitable encapsulating material,or a combination of the above.

Whether the method of FIG. 2 or the method of FIG. 3 is used, theresulting droplets are stabile at room temperature/body temperature andpressure. Droplets containing DFB, OFP, or a combination have anactivation energy that is low enough for use in human diagnostics,therapeutics, or treatment. For example, droplets containing DFP havethe desired low vaporization threshold, even when prepared as sub-microndroplets. DFB's boiling point of −1.7° C. is significantly lower thanother PFCs commonly used in ADV, which allows vaporization at much lowerpressures than similarly-sized emulsions of higher boiling-point PFCs.Lipid-encapsulated nanodroplets containing condensed OFP, which has aboiling point of −40° C., are surprisingly stabile: exposing thesenanodroplets to body temperature is not by itself enough to cause themto activate and expand into microbubbles; additional energy, such as maybe provided by a medical ultrasound transceiver, is required. Theresulting droplets are activatable with substantially less energy thanother favored PCCA compounds. For example, when exposed in vitro to a 2μs ultrasound pulse at 5 MHz and MI=1.2, the generated nanodropletsyield a distribution of microbubbles that corresponds well with expectedexpansion of the initial droplets through ideal gas law predictions withsurface tension effects included.

The methods described in FIGS. 2 and 3 can be used to producestabilized, lipid-encapsulated nanodroplets of highly volatile compoundssuitable for use as extravascular ultrasound contrast agents andactivatable using ADV at diagnostic ultrasound frequencies andmechanical indices within FDA guidelines for diagnostic imaging. Themethods described above have routinely yielded droplets in the 200˜300nm range, which, upon activation, become bubbles between 1 and 5 micronsin size. In other words, the droplets are small enough to extravasate,and, once activated, the bubbles are large enough to provide sufficientcontrast for ultrasound imaging. As will be described in more detailbelow, the particles thus created are suitable for use in diagnostics,therapeutics, and treatment other than ultrasound imaging, such as drugand gene delivery.

It is noted, however, that the methods and techniques described hereinmay be used to create stable nanodroplets containing highly volatilePFCs, even those that have activation energies above the limits definedfor human medical use. The unexpected stability of OFP droplets in thesub-micron range indicate that other highly volatile PFCs may be used tocreate nanodroplets that may be used to interrogate materials other thanbiological tissues, for example, to which a higher activation energy maybe applied, e.g., where there is no concern about bioeffects.

Detailed Preparation.

In one embodiment, lipid films were prepared with a lipid compositioncontaining 85 mole percent DPPC, 10 mole percent LPC, and 5 mole percentDPPE-PEG 2000. The lipids were dissolved in less than 1 mL of chloroformand gently evaporated with nitrogen gas. The lipids were kept under alyophilzer overnight in order to remove residual solvent and to createlipid films. The lipid films were rehydrated with approximately 1 mL ofHEPES buffer (pH=7.4) and sonicated for 10 minutes in a water bathsonicator at 50-60° C. The rehydrated films were subjected to 10freeze-thaw cycles where the freezing section consisted of anisopropanol bath with dry ice and the thawing section was a 50-60° C.water bath. This created a homogeneous lipid suspension, which was alsostirred for 10 minutes at 50-60° C. immediately afterwards. Theresulting concentration of the lipid solution was about 20 mg/mL.

For the method described in FIG. 2, a PFC, such as DFB, was condensed ina container over dry ice. The condensed DFB was poured into a 2 mL glassvial and crimped. Two hundred microliters (200 μl) of DFB was then mixedwith the lipid solution and the samples were extruded in a −20° C. coldroom by 20 passes through a 1 μm porous membrane filter. Afterextrusion, the resulting emulsion was stored at 4° C. in a crimped 2 mLvial. Samples were observed throughout the extrusion process to makesure they did not freeze.

For the method described in FIG. 3, microbubbles of a PFC, such as DFB,were formulated by the dissolution DPPC, DPPE-PEG-2000, and TAPS in amolar ratio of 65:5:30 (mole:mole:mole) and a total lipid concentrationof 0.75 mg/mL, 1.5 mg/mL, and 3 mg/mL. The excipient liquid wascomprised of propylene glycol, glycerol, and normal saline. Microbubbleswere formed via agitation by shaking for 45 seconds. The 2 mL vialcontaining the formed microbubbles was then immersed in aCO₂/isopropanol bath controlled to a temperature of approximately −5° C.A 25 G syringe needle containing 30 mL of room air was then insertedinto the vial septum and the plunger depressed slowly. This step wasrepeated with another 30 mL of room air. Lipid freezing was avoided byobserving the contents of the vial as well as the temperature of theCO₂/isopropanol solution periodically. After pressurizing with a totalof 60 mL of room air, the syringe needle was removed from the vial,leaving a pressure head on the solution.

Analysis of Results.

The vaporization threshold of individual droplets was determined, andthe size of the bubble resulting from activation of the droplet wasmeasured. The vaporization threshold was determined by observing whatlevel of ultrasound pressure was required to cause droplets of variousdiameters to activate. The measured pressure that induced vaporizationwas converted into a mechanical index (MI), defined as:

$\begin{matrix}\frac{{Peak}\mspace{14mu} {Negative}\mspace{14mu} {Pressure}\mspace{11mu} ({MPa})}{\sqrt{{US}\mspace{14mu} {Frequency}\mspace{11mu} ({MHz})}} & \left( {{Eq}.\mspace{14mu} {\# 10}} \right)\end{matrix}$

The results of the measurements are shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing an observed relationship between initialdiameter of a droplet and the mechanical index required to vaporize it.Droplets with diameters in the low micron range were seen to vaporize asan approximately logarithmic function of initial diameter. Droplets nearthe optical resolution limit of the experimental setup could bevaporized with brief 2 μs pulses at mechanical indices well-below thecurrent clinical limit of 1.9 for diagnostic ultrasound imaging. Uponexposure to ultrasonic energy, vaporization of the largest contentpresent in the samples—droplets larger than 1 μm, which could beresolved optically—was achieved at clinically relevant pressures suchthat a logarithmic relationship between initial diameter and pressurerequired to vaporize could be observed. As predicted, the pressurerequired to vaporize droplets was inversely related to droplet diameter.

Droplets produced by the droplet extrusion and bubble condensationmethods were measured optically before and after activation, and it wasobserved that the resulting increase in volume after vaporization wasclose to that predicted by ideal gas laws (approximately 5 to 6 timesthe original droplet diameter).

Tunable Activation Energy.

Droplets generated according to the methods described herein haveactivation energies that depend on the size of the droplet and thesubstance encapsulated in the droplet. For example, droplets containingpure DFB, which has a boiling point of −1.7° C., has a higher activationenergy than droplets containing pure OFP, which has a boiling point of−37.6° C. By creating droplets that contain a mixture of two substanceseach having a different boiling point, it is possible to create adroplet having a custom activation energy. This is shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing mechanical index as a function of dropletdiameter as observed using samples of droplets containing threedifferent substances: DFB, OFP, and a 50%/50% mix of DFB and OFP,generated using the bubble condensation method according to anembodiment of the subject matter described herein. Due to the lowerboiling point of OFP, a greater ambient pressure was needed beforecondensation of the sample was observed. In one embodiment, the DFPdroplets produced had mean diameters of 360±156 nm (N=3). Also, due tothe equipment used to verify the experimental results, only dropletslarger than 1 micron were tested, but it is expected that sub-microndroplets would show analogous behavior. Droplets composed of a 50/50mixture of DFB and OFP showed ultrasonic vaporization thresholds betweenthat of each ‘pure’ perfluorocarbon at room temperature under the sametest conditions.

It can be seen from the graph in FIG. 5 that droplets containing onlyDFB required a mechanical index of approximately 1.3 to activate,droplets containing only OFP required a mechanical index ofapproximately 0.8 to activate, and droplets containing the 50/50 mixturerequired a mechanical index in between 0.8 and 1.3, in the 1.1˜1.2range. By adjusting the mix of a relatively more volatile substance witha relatively less volatile substance, e.g., OFP and DFP, a droplet maybe produced that has an activation energy that is somewhere in betweenthe activation energies of the individual components of the mix. Thus,the energy required to vaporize a nanodroplet can be manipulated bysimply mixing the gases to a desired ratio prior to condensation.

At both room and body temperature, DFB and OFP droplets were vaporizedin vitro with waveforms similar to those found on clinical diagnosticultrasound machines, and with pressures less than the current FDA limitat 8 MHz (approximately 5.4 MPa). Unexpectedly, OFP showed relativestability at room temperature (nearly 60° C. above its natural boilingpoint), but reacted highly upon exposure to body temperature. DFBdroplets, on the other hand, showed remarkable stability at both roomand body temperature. As expected, droplet stability correlatedinversely with boiling point.

Applications.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for delivery ofparticles to a target region according to an embodiment of the subjectmatter described herein. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, atblock 600, particles comprising stable, activatable nanodroplets, eachnanodroplet comprising a liquid encapsulated in a shell, wherein theliquid comprises at least one component that is a gas at roomtemperature and atmospheric pressure, are introduced into a blood vesselin the vicinity of a target region, and at 602, the method includeswaiting until a sufficient amount of particles have extravasated intothe target region. In one embodiment, the target region is exposed tosome form of activation energy, such as ultrasonic, mechanical, thermal,or radio frequency energy, activating the nanodroplets and causing themto expand into microbubbles.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for medicaldiagnostic imaging using activatable droplets as contrast agentsaccording to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein. Inthe embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, at block 700, encapsulateddroplets, each encapsulated droplet comprising a liquid encapsulated ina shell, wherein the liquid comprises a liquid phase of a fluorocarbon,a perfluorocarbon, a chlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, ahydrocarbon, a gas having a boiling point that is below room temperature(25° C.), or combinations thereof are produced. These droplets may beproduced by using the droplet extrusion or bubble condensation methodsdescribed above, for example. At block 702, the encapsulated droplets soproduced are introduced into a tissue to be imaged. In one embodiment,the droplets may be introduced into a blood vessel that is in proximityto the tissue to be imaged, which allows the droplets to extravasateinto the interstitial area of the tissue. At block 704, activationenergy sufficient to cause the liquid within the encapsulated dropletsto change from a liquid phase to a gas phase is provided, causing theencapsulated droplets to increase in size and become bubbles ofencapsulated gas. At block 706, ultrasonic imaging of the tissue isperformed using the bubbles as a contrast agent.

In one embodiment, a method for medical diagnostic imaging usingactivatable droplets as contrast agents includes producing encapsulateddroplets, each encapsulated droplet made up of a liquid encapsulated ina shell, where the liquid comprises a liquid phase of a fluorocarbon, aperfluorocarbon, a chlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, ahydrocarbon, a gas having a boiling point that is below room temperature(25° C.), or combinations of the above. The encapsulated droplets areintroduced into a tissue to be imaged, and activation energy sufficientto cause the liquid within the encapsulated droplets to change from aliquid phase to a gas phase is provided, causing the encapsulateddroplets to increase in size and become bubbles of encapsulated gas.Ultrasonic imaging of the tissue using the bubbles as a contrast agentis performed. In one embodiment, the shell comprises a lipid, protein,polymer, gel, surfactant, peptide, or sugar. In one embodiment, theshell comprises lung surfactant proteins or their peptide components toform and stabilize bilayer and multilayer folds of the encapsulationmaterial attached to maintain enough encapsulation material sufficientto fully encapsulate the liquid phase before droplet vaporization andthe gas phase following vaporization. In one embodiment, providingactivation energy sufficient to cause the liquid within the encapsulateddroplets to change from a liquid phase to a gas phase includessubjecting the encapsulated droplets to ultrasonic, X-ray, optical,infrared, microwave, or radio frequency energy. In one embodiment, theencapsulating material contains a chemical substance that causes theencapsulated droplets to attach to cells of the tissue to be imaged. Inone embodiment, the tissue to be imaged comprises cancerous orpre-cancerous cells and wherein the chemical substance attaches toproteins expressed by the cancerous or pre-cancerous cells.

This technology is amenable to not only ultrasound imaging, but drug andgene delivery and therapy as well. The low concentrations of lipids(0.75-3.0 mg/mL) utilized to stabilize the DFB droplets in oneembodiment makes these formulations more amenable to human use whilealso minimizing the possibility of toxicity or bioeffects.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for medicaltherapy using activatable droplets as a vehicle for deliveringtherapeutic agents according to an embodiment described herein. In theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, at block 800, encapsulated droplets,each encapsulated droplet comprising a liquid encapsulated in a shell,wherein the liquid comprises a liquid phase of a fluorocarbon, aperfluorocarbon, a chlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, ahydrocarbon, a gas having a boiling point that is below room temperature(25° C.), or combinations thereof are produced. These droplets may beproduced by using the droplet extrusion or bubble condensation methodsdescribed above, for example. At block 802, a therapeutic agent isincluded in or on the shell. In one embodiment, the droplets areproduced first and the therapeutic agent is added into or onto the shellafterwards. In another embodiment, the therapeutic agent is included inthe encapsulating material prior to encapsulation, such that therapeuticagent is present within the shell from the instant that the droplet iscreated. At block 804, the encapsulated droplets are delivered to atarget region. At block 806, activation energy sufficient to cause theliquid within the encapsulated droplets to change from a liquid phase toa gas phase is provided, causing the encapsulated droplets to increasein size and become bubbles of encapsulated gas, and the therapeuticagent enters into one or more cells within the target region.

In one embodiment, a method for medical therapy using activatabledroplets includes producing encapsulated droplets, each encapsulateddroplet made up of a liquid encapsulated in a shell, where the liquidincludes a liquid phase of a fluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon, achlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, a hydrocarbon, a gas having aboiling point that is below room temperature (25° C.), or a combinationof the above, and where a therapeutic agent is included in or on theshell. The encapsulated droplets are delivered to a target region, andactivation energy sufficient to cause the liquid within the encapsulateddroplets to change from a liquid phase to a gas phase is provided,causing the encapsulated droplets to increase in size and become bubblesof encapsulated gas, and where the substance to be delivered to thetarget tissue enters into the cells of the target tissue. In oneembodiment, the shell comprises a lipid, protein, polymer, gel,surfactant, peptide, or sugar. In one embodiment, the shell compriseslung surfactant proteins or their peptide components to form andstabilize bilayer and multilayer folds of the encapsulation materialattached to maintain enough encapsulation material sufficient to fullyencapsulate the liquid phase before droplet vaporization and the gasphase following vaporization. In one embodiment, providing activationenergy sufficient to cause the liquid within the encapsulated dropletsto change from a liquid phase to a gas phase includes subjecting theencapsulated droplets to ultrasonic, X-ray, optical, infrared,microwave, or radio frequency energy. In one embodiment, the shellcontains a chemical substance that causes the encapsulated droplets toattach to cells of the target tissue. In one embodiment, the shellcontains a net negative or net positive charge to prevent aggregationand coalescence. In one embodiment, the shell contains a polymeric brushlayer to prevent aggregation and coalescence. In one embodiment, theshell contains a chemical substance that causes plasmids or genes toattach to the shell. In one embodiment, the chemical substance is acationic chemical. In one embodiment, the genes are targeted for gene orplasmid delivery to a cell.

In one embodiment, the target region comprises cancerous orpre-cancerous cells and wherein the chemical substance attaches toproteins expressed by the cancerous or pre-cancerous cells. In oneembodiment, the encapsulated droplets are delivered to the target regionby being introduced into a blood vessel in the vicinity of the targetregion and the encapsulated droplets extravasate into the target region.In one embodiment, the substance to be delivered to the target regionenters into the cells of the target region via sonoporation,vaporization, endocytosis, or contact-facilitated diffusion. In oneembodiment, the substance to be delivered to the target region includesa drug to be delivered to the target region and/or genetic material tobe inserted into the cells of the target region.

In one embodiment, tissue-specific targeting ligands may be incorporatedinto the shell of nanodroplets. For example, tissue-specific targetingligands may be incorporated into the shell of microbubbles produced andlater condensed into nanodroplets according to the bubble condensationmethods described above. In one embodiment, targeted DFB microbubbleswere fabricated with DSPC, PEG, and PEG conjugated with a cyclic RGDpeptide, which is known to target α_(v)β₃, a known angiogenic biomarker.Likewise, control microbubbles were fabricated with DSPC, PEG and PEGconjugated with a cyclic RAD peptide, which does not bind to α_(v)β₃.Targeted and non-targeted microbubbles were condensed into nanodropletsand incubated (15 minutes) independently with cover slips confluent withhuman umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), which overexpressα_(v)β₃ integrin. After incubation, each cover slip was washed with cellmedia to remove any non-targeted droplets. Next, each cover slip wasplaced on a custom built holder and submerged in a water tank full ofphosphate buffered saline heated to 37° C. for acoustic vaporization andtesting. A linear array transducer was used to take 2D cross-sectionalimages across the cover slip as a baseline before vaporization. Then,the transducer was scanned at a constant speed of 2.5 mm/s across thecover slip at a mechanical index of 1.9 in power Doppler mode tovaporize any adherent droplets. Finally, 2D acquisitions across thecover slip were obtained with the transducer in contrast mode todetermine the degree of contrast (via microbubbles from dropletvaporization) for both control and targeted samples. The brightness ofadherent microbubbles was assumed to be correlated with the degree ofα_(v)β₃ expression. Analysis of ultrasound images shows thatincorporating targeting ligands (in this case, the cyclic RGD peptide)increased the number of droplets present on the cell layer (HUVECs)dramatically. After being exposed to pressures within the limit of whata clinical ultrasound machine can provide, any droplets adhering to thecell layer were vaporized into microbubbles, which show up brightly onthe ultrasound scan. Comparing targeted droplets to non-targeteddroplets shows that the contrast present after vaporization wassignificantly greater for targeted droplets than for non-targeteddroplets, indicating that 1) the targeting ligand was successfullypreserved in the nanodroplet shell and 2) the targeted nanodropletspreferentially adhered to the cell layer. These results suggestsuccessful ‘transformation’ of targeted microbubbles into targetednanodroplets, which could be valuable for applications such as earlydetection and diagnosis of angiogenesis.

Delivering a droplet to targeted cells or to cells in a targeted regionmay involve more than simply delivering the substance to the exterior ofthe cell or into the vicinity of the cell. In one embodiment, thedroplets may be coated with a material that causes the cells tointernalize the droplets, such as via endocytosis or phagocytosis. Forexample, coating a droplet with folate may cause a cell to internalizethe droplet. Once inside the cell, activation of the droplet causes thedroplet to expand to microbubble size. In one embodiment, the activateddroplet kills the cell, either by the expansion alone, or by subsequentexcitation of the microbubble within the cell. Alternatively, theactivated droplet may not kill the cell but instead deliver the intendedpayload more efficiently within the cell, e.g., by increasing thesurface area of a shell containing a therapeutic substance intended forthe cell to receive and use. In this manner, any substance that may bedelivered into the presence of the cell (e.g., a drug to be delivered tothe target region, genetic material to be inserted into the cells of thetarget region, and others) may instead be delivered into the interior ofthe cell directly.

In one embodiment, the droplet may be coated with a material thattargets specific parts of the cell once internalized. For example, thedroplet may be coated with a material that causes the droplet to attachitself, be internalized by, or otherwise target a subcellular organelle(e.g., mitochondria). In one embodiment, activating the dropletcompromises the targeted organelle and subsequently destroying the cell,arresting the cell's growth, or otherwise killing the cell. In oneembodiment, the droplet or its shell could contain a chemical substancewhich triggers cell apoptosis. Alternatively, the activated droplet maymore efficiently deliver a chemical substance to the targeted organelle.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for medicaltherapy using activatable droplets to obstruct the flow of blood,oxygen, or nutrients to cells, such as tumor tissues, according to anembodiment of the subject matter described herein. In the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 9, at block 900, encapsulated droplets, eachencapsulated droplet comprising a liquid encapsulated in a shell,wherein the liquid comprises a liquid phase of a fluorocarbon, aperfluorocarbon, a chlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, ahydrocarbon, a gas having a boiling point that is below room temperature(25° C.), or combinations thereof are produced. These droplets may beproduced by using the droplet extrusion or bubble condensation methodsdescribed above, for example. At block 902, the encapsulated dropletsare delivered to a target region. At block 904, activation energysufficient to cause the liquid within the encapsulated droplets tochange from a liquid phase to a gas phase is provided, causing theencapsulated droplets to increase in size and become bubbles ofencapsulated gas, and the bubbles obstruct the flow of blood, oxygen, ornutrients to cells within the target region. In one embodiment, thedroplets are small enough to extravasate into the interstitial space oftissues in the target region, and the activated bubbles preventnutrients from passing to the tissue from blood vessels. In oneembodiment, the droplets remain within the blood vessels and, whenactivated, are large enough to obstruct blood flow through the bloodvessels, which also may starve tissue within the target region. Exampletarget regions may include tumors, cancerous cells, or pre-cancerouscells.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for sizeselection of particles according to an embodiment described herein. Inthe embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10, at block 1000, droplets oremulsions having at least one component that is a gas at roomtemperature and atmospheric pressure encapsulated in liquid form insidea lipid, protein, or polymer capsule particles are exposed to a pressureother than atmospheric pressure and/or a temperature other than roomtemperature, which causes some portion of the particle distribution tobecome activated. At block 1002, the activated particles can then beseparated from the non-activated particles. This is fairly easy to dosince bubbles are more buoyant than droplets. This technique allows theparticles to be selectively separated according to droplet size. Thelarger droplets have a lower activation energy than the smallerdroplets, and so the larger droplets may be separated from the otherdroplets by applying an activation energy that is high enough toactivate the larger droplets but not high enough to activate the smallerdroplets. If smaller droplets are desired, this technique can be used tocull larger droplets from the mix. If larger droplets are desired, thetechnique can be used to harvest the larger droplets by causing them toinflate into bubbles, scooping the now floating bubbles from the top,and subject them to cooling and/or compression to cause them to revertto droplet form.

In one embodiment, a method of size selection of particles comprisingdroplets or emulsions having at least one component that is a gas atroom temperature and atmospheric pressure encapsulated in liquid forminside a lipid, protein, polymer, gel, surfactant, peptide, or sugarcapsule includes exposing the particles to pressure other thanatmospheric pressure thereby causing some portion of the particledistribution to become activated, and separating the activated particlesfrom the non-activated particles. In one embodiment, exposing theparticles to pressure other than atmospheric pressure includes exposingthe particles to a pressure that is 0˜10 mm Hg below atmosphericpressure. In one embodiment, exposing the particles to pressure otherthan atmospheric pressure includes exposing the particles to a pressurethat is 10˜50 mm Hg below atmospheric pressure. In one embodiment,exposing the particles to pressure other than atmospheric pressureincludes exposing the particles to a pressure that is 50˜100 mm Hg belowatmospheric pressure. In one embodiment, exposing the particles topressure other than atmospheric pressure includes exposing the particlesto a pressure that is 100˜200 mm Hg below atmospheric pressure. In oneembodiment, exposing the particles to pressure other than atmosphericpressure includes exposing the particles to a pressure that is 200˜400mm Hg below atmospheric pressure. In one embodiment, exposing theparticles to pressure other than atmospheric pressure includes exposingthe particles to a pressure that is 400˜600 mm Hg below atmosphericpressure. In one embodiment, exposing the particles to pressure otherthan atmospheric pressure includes exposing the particles to a pressurethat is 600˜800 mm Hg below atmospheric pressure.

In one embodiment, a method of size selection of particles comprisingdroplets or emulsions having at least one component that is a gas atroom temperature and atmospheric pressure encapsulated in liquid forminside a lipid, protein, polymer, gel, surfactant, peptide, or sugarcapsule includes exposing the particles to a temperature range therebycausing some portion of the particle distribution to become activated,and separating the activated particles from the non-activated particles.In one embodiment, exposing the particles to a temperature rangeincludes exposing the particles to a temperature that is 0˜60 degrees C.above room temperature. In one embodiment, exposing the particles to atemperature range includes exposing the particles to a temperature thatis 10˜60 degrees C. above room temperature. In one embodiment, exposingthe particles to a temperature range includes exposing the particles toa temperature that is 20˜80 degrees C. above room temperature.

In one embodiment, a method of generating microbubbles in a biologicalmedia using a metastable nanoparticle containing a stabilizedfluorocarbon with a boiling point below the temperature of thebiological media and activating the nanoparticle, causing thenanoparticle to transform into a microbubble. In one embodiment, theboiling point is between 0 and 60 degrees C. below the temperature ofthe biological media. In one embodiment, the boiling point is between 10and 60 degrees C. below the temperature of the biological media. In oneembodiment, the boiling point is between 20 and 80 degrees C. below thetemperature of the biological media. In one embodiment, the boilingpoint is between 30 and 80 degrees C. below the temperature of thebiological media. In one embodiment, the boiling point is between 40 and60 degrees C. below the temperature of the biological media. In oneembodiment, the boiling point is between 50 and 60 degrees C. below thetemperature of the biological media.

In one embodiment, a method for medical therapy using activatabledroplets includes producing encapsulated droplets, each encapsulateddroplet made up of a liquid encapsulated in a shell, where the liquidincludes a liquid phase of a fluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon, achlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, a hydrocarbon, a gas having aboiling point that is below room temperature (25° C.), or combinationsof the above. The encapsulated droplets are delivered to a targettissue, and activation energy sufficient to cause the liquid within theencapsulated droplets to change from a liquid phase to a gas phase isprovided, causing the encapsulated droplets to increase in size andbecome bubbles of encapsulated gas. The bubbles so generated obstructthe flow of blood, oxygen, or nutrients to a target region. In oneembodiment, the shell includes a lipid, protein, polymer, gel,surfactant, peptide, or sugar. In one embodiment, the shell includeslung surfactant proteins or their peptide components to form andstabilize bilayer and multilayer folds of the encapsulation materialattached to maintain enough encapsulation material sufficient to fullyencapsulate the liquid phase before droplet vaporization and the gasphase following vaporization. In one embodiment, providing activationenergy sufficient to cause the liquid within the encapsulated dropletsto change from a liquid phase to a gas phase includes subjecting theencapsulated droplets to ultrasonic, X-ray, optical, infrared,microwave, or radio frequency energy. In one embodiment, the targetregion includes a tumor, cancerous cells, or pre-cancerous cells. In oneembodiment, the encapsulating material contains a chemical substancethat causes the encapsulated droplets to attach to cells of a tissuewithin the cells of the target region. In one embodiment, theencapsulating material contains a chemical substance that causes theencapsulated droplets to attach to cells and promote intracellularuptake. In one embodiment, the chemical substance attaches to proteinsexpressed by cells within the target region.

CONCLUSION

It has been shown that highly volatile PFCs, such as DFB and OFP, can besuccessfully generated as lipid-encapsulated micron and sub-micron sizeddroplets that remain stable at physiological temperatures. Most studiesof phase-change contrast agents to date have chosen PFCs that are stableat room temperature, presumably due to simplicity of droplet generation.This study is the first, to the knowledge of the authors, which hasexplored the use of lower boiling-point PFCs by means of using shellencapsulation to produce stable liquid droplets of PFCs which arenormally gas at room and body temperature. DFB-based phase-changecontrast agents show significant potential for applications such asintra-tumoral deposition of chemotherapeutics and the imaging ofinterstitial space.

It has also been shown that pressurization and temperature-inducedcondensation of pre-formed microbubbles is both an effective andadvantageous means of producing contrast agents for ADV applicationscompared to conventional extrusion and emulsion-based methods for somePFCs. The samples formed at a lipid concentration of 3 mg/mL produced ahigh number of viable nanodroplets that could be vaporized at clinicallyfeasible pressures, resulting in a distribution of contrast-providingmicrobubbles well-correlated to the original microbubble sample. Thismethod also may have advantages with regard to commercialization of ADVtechnology, as nanodroplets can be formed easily by adding a simpletechnique after traditional microbubble preparation. Results havedemonstrated that ADV of submicron sized droplets can be induced invitro with pressures available to clinical diagnostic ultrasoundmachines.

What is claimed is:
 1. A particle of material, comprising: a firstsubstance that includes at least one component that is a gas 25° C. andatmospheric pressure; and a second substance, different from the firstsubstance, that encapsulates the first substance to create a droplet oremulsion that is stable at room temperature and atmospheric pressure,wherein at least some of the first substance exists in a gaseous phaseat the time of encapsulation of the first substance within the secondsubstance to form a bubble, and, after formation of the bubble, thebubble is condensed into a liquid phase, which causes the bubble totransform into the droplet or emulsion having a core consisting of aliquid; wherein the droplet or emulsion is an activatable phase changeagent that remains a droplet having a core consisting of a liquid at 25°C. and atmospheric pressure, and wherein the first substance has aboiling point below 25° C. at atmospheric pressure.
 2. The particle ofmaterial of claim 1 wherein the particle has a diameter of less than onemicron.
 3. The particle of material of claim 1 wherein the particle hasan activation energy within limits defined for use for human diagnostic,therapeutic, or medical use.
 4. The particle of material of claim 1wherein the first substance comprises a perfluorocarbon orperfluorochemical having a boiling point below 25° C. at atmosphericpressure.
 5. The particle of material of claim 4 wherein the firstsubstance comprises at least one of decafluorobutane (DFB) andoctafluoropropane (OFP).
 6. The particle of material of claim 1 whereinthe second substance comprises at least one of a lipid, a protein, apolymer, a gel, a surfactant, a peptide, or a sugar.
 7. The particle ofmaterial of claim 1 wherein the second substance comprises lungsurfactants, amphiphiles, proteins, or their peptide components to formand stabilize bilayer and multilayer folds of the encapsulation materialattached to maintain enough encapsulation material sufficient to fullyencapsulate the liquid phase before droplet vaporization and the gasphase following vaporization.
 8. The particle of material of claim 7wherein the amphiphiles comprise at least one of: amphiphilic polymersand copolymers; amphiphilic peptides; amphiphilic dendrimers; andamphiphilic nucleic acids.
 9. The particle of material of claim 1wherein the first substance comprises a mixture of a plurality ofdifferent substances different from the second substance and each havinga different activation energy, wherein an activation energy of thedroplet or emulsion is adjustable based on the relative proportions ofthe plurality of different substances.
 10. The particle of material ofclaim 9 wherein the first substance comprises a mixture of a firstsubstance having a first activation energy and a second substance havinga second activation energy in a one-to-one ratio and wherein theactivation energy of the droplet or emulsion is approximately theaverage of the first and second activation energies.
 11. The particle ofmaterial of claim 1 wherein the second substance includes a thirdsubstance that causes the second substance to attach to cells of atissue within the cells of the target region.
 12. The particle ofmaterial of claim 11 wherein the third substance attaches to proteinsexpressed by cells within the target region.
 13. The particle ofmaterial of claim 11 wherein the third substance comprisestissue-specific targeting ligands.
 14. The particle of material of claim11 wherein the third substance attaches to proteins expressed by atumor, cancerous cells, or pre-cancerous cells.
 15. The particle ofmaterial of claim 1 wherein the second substance contains a thirdsubstance that promotes intracellular uptake.
 16. The particle ofmaterial of claim 1 wherein the particle includes a substance to bedelivered to the target region.
 17. The particle of material of claim 15wherein the substance to delivered to the target region enters into thecells of the target region via sonoporation, vaporization, endocytosis,or contact-facilitated diffusion.
 18. The particle of material of claim15 wherein the substance to be delivered to the target region comprisesat least one of: a drug to be delivered to the target region; andgenetic material to be inserted into the cells of the target region. 19.The particle of material of claim 1 wherein the second substanceincludes a substance that causes the droplet to be internalized within acell.
 20. The particle of material of claim 18 wherein the secondsubstance includes a substance that causes the droplet to target aspecific component within a cell.
 21. The particle of material of claim1 wherein the second substance comprises at least one of: a net negativeor net positive charge to prevent aggregation and coalescence; apolymeric brush layer to prevent aggregation and coalescence; a chemicalsubstance that causes plasmids or genes to attach to the shell; a geneor plasmid that is targeted for delivery to the target region; and acationic chemical.